At an adjournment debate at Westminster Hall today, secured by Pat Glass, Labour MP for North West Durham, on the future of nursery schools, Lucy Powell, shadow minister for children and childcare, said that nursery schools should be able to secure academy status to enable them to enjoy the same freedoms as schools.
She went on to say that the challenge nursery schools face is that they are not seen as either schools or nurseries.
Graham Stuart, chair of the Education Select Committee, who was also present at the debate, said he had already raised the issue of nursery schools being able to become academies with senior ministers on behalf of nursery school heads.
However, Beatrice Merrick, chief executive of Early Education, told Nursery World, that she thinks going down the academy route is not a good idea, and that the issue of funding for nursery schools needs to be looked at instead.
She said, ‘A small group of nurseries looked at trying to gain academy status for their survival. The Department for Education said at the time that it was not prepared to consider this, but won’t rule it out in the future.
‘Nursery schools have mixed views about becoming academies if there was the option. It may be an option for nurseries that feel they don’t have a sympathetic local authority or have to battle for funding year on year.’
During the debate, Labour MP Pat Glass also revealed the extent to which maintained nursery schools are being closed by local authorities.
According to Ms Glass, in 1980 there were 599 nursery schools and Ofsted figures show there are now 418.
Figures from Early Education's report - 'Maintained nursery schools: a hidden asset', published in March, indicated that more than 100 nursery schools in Britain have closed since 1999.
However, reacting to the Labour MP’s comments, Sam Gyimah, childcare and education minister, said he did not think there was a long-term trend of nursery school closures, as just a small number have closed and many have merged with schools.
He went on to argue that nursery schools have more protection than other early years settings as local authorities have to follow statutory guidance that states they must hold a consultation before closing any maintained settings and must consider if alternative provision that offers the same quality is available within the area.
Although, Beatrice Merrick of Early Education argues that while this statutory guidance makes it harder for local authorities to close nursery schools they can still do it.
Funding
Another issue raised during the debate was funding for maintained nursery schools.
Pat Glass MP argued that the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) fails to recognise that nursery schools have higher overheads compared to the PVI sector, as they are required to employ qualified teachers.
On the suggestion that nursery schools receive more money through the single funding formula, the childcare and education minister said he did not think that a funding approach that treats these settings differently would be fair to areas where there are not any maintained nursery schools or just one or two.
He added that it is down for local authorities to determine funding levels for nursery schools.
While Mr Gyimah did recognise the high-quality provision provided by nursery schools, he did say they are just one option for parents in a ‘mixed economy’ of early years provision, and ‘one size does not fit all’.
Pay and status
During the debate, the issue of pay and status of the sector, in particular that of early years teachers, was also raised.
Lucy Powell, shadow childcare minister said how many cohorts starting the EYT course this month told her they felt they had been misled as they did not realise that on completion of the qualification they would not have qualified teacher status (QTS) or be able to earn the same money as primary teachers.
Mr Gyimah said that the content of the course should have been made clearer, but discrepancy in pay also applies to the whole early years sector. He said a more fundamental point is to make sure there is the opportunity for career progression.
He added, ‘It is a knotted issue to get around, but it is in my in-tray.’
‘I believe there is a need to raise the status and quality of professionals in the early years sector, but there are a number of ways of doing it. We have introduced the GCSE English and maths requirement for the Level 3. The broader issue is attracting graduates. Making the Early Years Teacher qualification QTS is one way, but not the only way.’
When pressed by the chair of the Education Select Committee as to whether he will implement a 0-18 workforce strategy, Mr Gyimah said it is something he is looking at.
Commenting on the debate, Beatrice Merrick, chair of Early Education said while she was pleased that the childcare and education minister recognised the high quality of nursery schools, she felt he failed to grasp some key points.
She said, ‘Rather than saying that some areas don’t have nursery schools, the childcare and education minister should consider why this is the case. Perhaps these areas aren’t historically deprived or maybe they have had to close settings because of a lack of funding.’
Writing on his blog, Julian Grenier, headteacher of Sheringham Nursery School in Newham, said, ‘The evidence points strongly to the quality of nursery schools and their beneficial impact on disadvantaged children. Nursery schools do not just benefit the children on their roll, they are often at the heart of children’s centres, providing support and early intervention for thousands of children. Yet, there are closing fast.
‘The continued closure of nursery schools is a matter of great concern to me, and I think it is urgent that parliament speaks up to support them.’